Cannellini Bean and Sausage Gratin

Carol Lowden and Judy Hart prepared this wonderful dish for a Umbria Trip Reunion Pot Luck Dinner. It was a hit and they are sharing the recipe.



Serves 4-6 Hands-On Time: 30m Total Time: 1hr 00m

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound), casings removed
1 small bulb fennel, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped sage
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat an 8-by-10-inch baking or gratin dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, crumble the sausages and cook, breaking up, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from skillet and set aside. Add the fennel and onion to skillet and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sage and cook 1 minute more. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, stirring until slightly wilted. Stir in the broth, beans, sausage, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and Parmesan with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture on top and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.